Not-so-good old days

Rioting students and an error at an execution — last week's news? No, try "century-before-yester-century's" news.

The Oxford Democrat, despite the significance to modern readers, was staunchly what today would be called "conservative" in its editorial policy. The 1840s were a period of time in which most Americans were too distracted by new discoveries, an ever-advancing frontier and survival to dwell on the inherent injustices of slavery and the occupation of Native Americans' land, but not too distracted to ignore breaking news.

The paper reported in its issue of May 13, 1845, that college students' behavior had led to a callout of troops to restore order down in Virginia.

College Rebellion The students at the university of Virginia have, according to the delicate language of the times, been kicking up a row. They recently commenced a series of mock serenades on the "Calatbumpean" principle, which being denounced by the Protestors, their houses were mobbed one after another, fire crackers thrown into them, and other outrages perpetrated of an exceedingly alarming character, especially to females and children. These disgraceful scenes were followed up night after night, until it became necessary to call in the police, and finally the military force, and the university is now in the possession of a body of 600 soldiers. Some efforts have been made towards a reconciliation, and a set of resolutions were passed by the students at a former meeting for that purpose, but the rioters refused to sign their names to them. Most of the students have left; the Faculty, it is understood will resign, and for the present the college appears to be broken up. Many of the students took no part in this shameful affair, but there is a point of honor among all students not to be tale bearers, even upon the guilty. (N. Y. News)

The same edition of the Democrat described a badly muffed execution:

Horrible Scene. Zephon, the colored man who was hanged at Philadelphia on Friday by mistake of the executioner fell at first so that his feet stuck the earth. The second attempt was successful. The Times describes the scene:

The drop fell — and instantly a thrill of horror seized upon the lookers on, and an involuntary exclamation of pity escaped the lips of all. The executioner had allowed too much length to the rope, and the fall being greater than the two feet that it should have been, brought the miserable victim of the law to the ground, which his feet struck with sufficient violence to make considerable impression on the loose earth. The concussion and shock nearly stunned him, though he sustained only slight injury. The noose remained slack and his neck was not hurt.

The construction of the drop which was the common trap with hinges, supported by the jointed prop, also hinged, rendered the task of redoing the work of but a moment or two, and the poor fellow, groaning from mental and physical suffering, was borne up the ladder by four men, and upon being placed upon his feet, stood a second time upon the platform, composed and tranquil. The rope was now properly secured, the noose once more adjusted and the sheriff again speaking words of encouragement to the felon, and receiving his dying blessing, quickly bode him a last farewell; and in five minutes from the occurrence of the unlucky and distressing accident, the murderer had felt the awful realities of death upon the gallows.

Let's hope, at least, that the poor man's neck snapped, giving him a quicker, and presumably less painful death than strangulation, although it was noted that five minutes elapsed before he was declared deceased.

As is our custom, we try to exactly reproduce the grammar, spelling, punctuation and style of the original. Commas might appear where least expected and remain absent where we’d expect them if the item was written nowadays. On the other hand, consistency was not considered of utmost importance, so variations of a spelling might appear within one story. In addition, some words were abbreviated differently than today.

Where brief explanations of terms are considered necessary, they are presented in brackets [] within the quote. Otherwise, explanations appear at the beginning or at the conclusion, without quotes. Parenthesis () used in a quoted passage appeared in the original.